Ethical issues
The collection was established with a noble purpose: To increase the knowledge of diseases and thus help a large group of underprivileged people. The procedures were in agreement with the ethical standards of that time.
The Danish Council of Ethics and The Danish National Committee on Biomedical Research Ethics made several positive evaluations of the collection. In 2006, they both confirmed that it is ethically justifiable to use the Brain Collection for scientific purposes.
In particular, they maintained that it is not ethically correct to contact next of kin for permission to use tissue in the Brain Collection for research projects. However, according to Danish law, all research projects using human tissue need ethical approval from the regional committees on biomedical research ethics. Thus, all research projects using tissue from the Brain Collection must obtain individual ethical approval before initiation.
Legal issues
University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital became data controller instead of Central Denmark Region with regard to the collaboration BRIDGE. The legal matter according to the establishment of the biobank was examined and approved by the Central Denmark Region. The Danish National Committee on Biomedical Research Ethics has declared that the biobank has a huge importance according to investigation and it is decisive for research projects. Furthermore The Committee has declared that the biobank was established in accordance with legislation and ethics at the time of the establishment.